Abstract of GLP‑1 adoption tendencies in Europe
- GLP‑1 uptake in Europe stays far decrease than US ranges
- Shopper scepticism throughout Europe limits weight‑loss drug use regardless of rising consciousness
- Public healthcare protection constraints gradual adoption in contrast with commercially pushed US
- Even optimistic eventualities predict solely modest calorie‑consumption reductions throughout Europe
- Gradual destigmatisation suggests gradual progress however restricted lengthy‑time period market disruption
GLP-1 receptor agonists have seen far larger traction within the US than in Europe.
Uptake of the medicine is already at round 12% within the US, in line with the Dutch financial institution ING. Nonetheless, within the EU and UK, it’s roughly 2%.
In January, we requested if 2026 is likely to be the 12 months when GLP-1s go huge in Europe. There are indicators that it could possibly be the case. However there are nonetheless various issues holding again uptake of the medicine.
Many European customers are sceptical
GLP-1 medicine have had different uptake in Europe. They’ve seen robust traction in Germany and are driving cultural change within the UK, however elsewhere, uptake remains to be low and scepticism remains to be excessive.
In France, whereas 2% of individuals are utilizing GLP-1s in line with shopper analytics firm Mintel, this use remains to be largely restricted to therapy for diabetes. Solely 7% of French customers imagine that they might be a superb software for weight reduction.
GLP-1s have begun to affect the meals panorama in Spain, however their uptake is restricted. In response to Mintel, solely 6% of customers imagine they’re a superb software for weight reduction.
In the meantime, GLP-1s are ‘not but a subject’ in Italy, in line with Giulia Scalbi, affiliate principal at Mintel. The truth is, solely 5% of Italian customers imagine that weight problems medicine are good routes by means of which to shed extra pounds.
Scepticism in Europe is, partly, pushed by European customers’ choice for life-style modifications over medical options to resolve well being issues, suggests Jonny Forsyth, principal strategist for foods and drinks at Mintel.
European customers are additionally extra sceptical of company messaging, he suggests. In Europe, “many customers have an in-built scepticism of firms’ agenda and new methods of doing issues, particularly in France and Italy”.
European healthcare techniques vs US system
In Europe, entry to medicine comes by means of public healthcare techniques way more prominently than within the US, which means that uptake usually relies upon extra on whether or not these techniques present protection.
The distinction between uptake in Europe and the US “boils right down to the best way US and European societies are structured so in another way”, says Mintel’s Forsyth.
“In Europe, new medicines and well being therapies are permitted first by governments or public establishments and solely after they’ve acquired the inexperienced mild, are firms in a position to totally commercialise them.”
In the meantime, issues are extra commercially pushed within the US, with much less stringent regulation.
Within the US, factors out ING’s Geijer, customers are extra used to paying lots for medicine, with drug costs incessantly being excessive, though a “sizeable share” of European households can afford the medicine.
However, to get to excessive adoption in Europe, protection of those medicine on well being companies might want to enhance. As soon as well being companies have began drug reimbursement to customers for GLP-1s, it turns into very onerous to roll this again, Geijer factors out.
Some European nations have extra room inside their budgets to offer such protection than others. Added to this, completely different nations have completely different ranges of each weight problems and type-2 diabetes.
Well being companies in some nations – the UK, France and the Netherlands, for instance – have launched a sure stage of protection of the medicine.
May GLP-1 adoption enhance?
Foods and drinks firms should watch the progress of GLP-1 medicine intently. But they’re nonetheless a minority pursuit.
In ING’s analysis, it predicted that in virtually any potential future, GLP-1 uptake will stay a minority. Europe, due to the elements above, stays a market the place adoption is decrease than within the US.
Within the state of affairs of most radical change, ING predicts, GLP-1 medicine will cut back complete calorie consumption of two.5-3.5%. That is nonetheless a really small a part of complete consumption. Nonetheless, together with GLP-1 medicine, ageing populations might cut back the demand for meals.
If firms can not adapt manufacturing capability to new ranges of demand, suggests Geijer, they could discover themselves with extra capability than is critical.
In the meantime, European customers are “doubtless” turning into much less sceptical of the medicine, says Forsyth, as they change into “extra socially acceptable and folks begin to focus on their utilization extra overtly”.
Constructive protection within the media has additionally decreased the stigma across the medicine, which “makes them really feel safer and extra the ‘norm’, than one thing which is new, horrifying and doubtlessly problematic”.
Penetration is simply rising progressively – within the UK, for instance, it rose from 6% in 2025 to 7% in early 2026 – however it’s nonetheless rising.
GLP-1s are unlikely to pose an existential risk, and the implications for European meals and beverage usually are not devastating. Nonetheless, use remains to be increasing and sooner or later, they might make a extra sizable dent on meals consumption than they at the moment are.
